Cyclocross competition in Belgium heats up 2016’s New Year chill with Sunday’s Cyclocross Leuven
On the cyclocross terrain of Belgium, 2016 has been off to a roaring, dirt-eating start so far—and that was certainly the case at Sunday's Cyclocross Leuven.
On the cyclocross terrain of Belgium, 2016 has been off to a roaring, dirt-eating start so far—and that was certainly the case at Sunday’s Cyclocross Leuven.
The course was dry but tricky and technical, proving to be a challenge for riders of all classifications who competed. Nearly every race saw riders from Belgium and the Netherlands take top honours, with Telenet-Fidea, especially, taking a decisive win. In the Elite/U23 competition, Toon Aerts kept well ahea of the field, a power he maintained right up until the finish with teammate Tom Meeusen, after a thrilling break, rolling across the line in second place, trailing 14 seconds behind Aerts’s lead. Riding for
BKCP-Corendon, Vincent Baestaens, another Belgian rider, took third just over a minute behind.
In the Elite women’s competition, the podium was owned by Sophie De Boer of the Netherlands, riding for Kalas-NNOF Cycling Team. She finished the course with a time of 0:44:32, barely a second ahead of Sanne Cant of Belgium, riding for BKCP. In third place, competing in Telenet Fidea colours, Ellen Van Loy rolled to the finish 18 seconds behind De Boer.
The Junior men’s race, finally, was similarly tight, with Belgium’s Alessio Dhoore—another Telenet-Fidea rider—crossing the finish in 0:40:31, two seconds ahead of countryman and W.A.C Team Hoboken rider Toon Vandebosch. Victor Vandebosch, meanwhile, rolled to the finish in third place, 17 seconds behind Dhoore’s lead.
Canada was also represented in each competiton, with Mical Dyck taking top-10 standings 2:12 behind De Boer’s win in the Elite women’s category, placing ninth. Also riding for Canada in that race was Anna Schappert, whose 16th-place finish put her 5:37 behind De Boer. Jeremy Martin, Mark McConnell, Trevor O’Donnell and Isaac Niles, in the Elite/U23 men’s race, all finished a few laps down.
The Junior men’s competition, finally, saw two Canadian riders clock better times, with Gunnar Holmgren in 17th place and Brody Sanderson 18th, both 3:25 behind Dhoore.
Elite Women
1 Sophie De Boer (NED) Kalas-NNOF Cycling Team 0:44:32
2 Sanne Cant (BEL) Enertherm – BKCP 0:01
3 Ellen Van Loy (BEL) VZW Young Telenet Fidea Cycling Team 0:18
9 Mical Dyck (CAN) Team Canada/Naked Bikes 2:12
16 Anna Schappert (CAN) Team Canada 5:37
Elite/U23 Men
1 Toon Aerts (BEL) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team 1:02:09
2 Tom Meeusen (BEL) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team 0:14
3 Vincent Baestaens (BEL) BKCP – Corendon 1:17
21 Jeremy Martin (CAN) Team Canada/Garneau -2 Laps
24 Mark McConnell (CAN) Team Canada/Hot Sauce -3 Laps
32 Trevor O’Donnell (CAN) Team Canada -5 Laps
33 Isaac Niles (CAN) Team Canada -5 Laps
Junior Men
1 Alessio Dhoore (BEL) VZW Young Telenet Fidea Cycling Team 0:40:31
2 Toon Vandebosch (BEL) W.A.C. Team Hoboken (Kon.) V.Z.W. at 0:02
3 Victor Vandebosch (BEL) Enertherm – BKCP 0:17
17 Gunnar Holmgren (CAN) Team Canada 3:25
18 Brody Sanderson (CAN) Team Canada 3:25
